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Sunday, April 19, 2015

Women mind Deepika’s choice



In today's Hitavada
Rekha Nagvanshi’s in-laws are demanding justice now. Doesn’t she have the freedom to pee where she wants?  All she wanted was her husband to massage her feet. And when her in-laws played spade, she in her rightful mind chose to urinate in their tea cups. They sure do not understand their bahu is empowered in making independent choices.  Someone please show the old couple Deepika Padukone’s ‘My Choice’ video. And the fact that her husband was on the job – at her service - is what you call his choice. Where is the issue, at all? It’s simple domestic set up!

Just like in my neighbhourhood, elderly aunties collectively choose to praise ‘THE’ daughter-in-law of the community at their satangs, only because she quit her job to take care of her bed-ridden MIL. One day I ran into the woman with her two kids and dog in tow, when she requested me if I could collect a few students for her to start tuition classes at home. So what about your mom-in-law? The sullen-faced woman replied: “I was always confident of managing it all, but my husband just wouldn’t listen. Now with mounting bills, he wants me to take up at least a part-time job…”

If you dismiss this as man’s choice versus his wife’s, then wait till you hear the saga of a young girl with a toddler loitering about houses washing dishes.

A year back, her mother had borrowed from all the houses she worked in for her wedding and sold the last piece of silver to meet the dowry needs as the prospective groom was a government employee. She flaunted a modest feast and gifted her daughter a motorbike, a few grams of gold jewellery, suitcase of clothes and utensils, too. Then, her madams gossiped about her so-called extravagance, but she stood her ground saying it was her dream. Some woman power, that was.

Alas! today her daughter is back because her government-employee-husband is at all times on four feet, turning every inch of her skin blue. But the madams are still reprimanding the mother for the lavish wedding every time they see the toddler running about. Wish Deepika could explain it to madamjis.

But Ms Padukone herself is in trouble with her choice and her producer Homi Adajania is doing everything in his might to calm critics. The video is sexist at the least and offensive to the very womenfolk at best. It should be played across all inner pockets of the country, where women have no choice but survive each day.

Women’s empowerment is not about wearing short skirts, returning home late, or having sex before marriage or outside of marriage…for majority in our country it’s still about mundane daily domestic decisions.
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Thursday, April 2, 2015

Why Anuksha's googly went viral

This appeared in today's Hitavada

So the clash of the titans and fights among not-so-giants are over. Gentlemen are back to their couches with their WAGs. But our men refuse to settle down.
Anuksha Sharma continues to be too much of a distraction for them. And it only got worse after seeing Virat Kohli return home hand-in-hand with his lady love.
Whatsapp users took the cake. They had something for real this time, a welcome change from imaginary jokes and compulsive positivity. Understand media channels desperation for TRP; even radio jockeys banter is much the same – it’s survival. And what better potion than a Bollywood-cricket concoction that washes away all sins of work ethics and responsibility.
Had it been Virat’s neighbour whom he was in love with who cheered him from the stands, would the country have erupted with such hatred? Debates scream that Tendulakar’s and Ganguly’s wives were never seen during their time. But then they were mere star wives, no starlets! Wonder which is more sexy - cricket or Bollywood. Both take the breath out of Indian men!
Only that now they gasp on Twitter and FB. Social media is fast becoming the new curse of the generation as filthy minds flaunt with impunity. What’s sad is none can be held accountable – neither government, media nor celebrities themselves as it’s all in the mind of the populace.
A few months back in a separate sport-Bollywood project, Priyanka Chopra was ripped apart on social media for earning more than Mary Kom. How can two diverse professions be compared? It’s not about merits and class, it’s just how we are. We will not let anyone walk away with glory without a noise.
We love to peep into another’s space. And when the doors are open we gawk and run amok to share the sight. It’s not gossip, we are merely sharing info, with our own personal take on it. And if it’s cricket it’s our self-respect at stake. We will tolerate no dent to it. We will speak our minds! So what if we have to crucify a star? After all Anuksha Sharma earns her keep entertaining us.
As much as I hate the language she was derided with and would be the first to ban all social media users those who did that, I wonder if Anuksha called for it. Why did she go to Australia when WAGs were prohibited during the tournament? Why break rules? We are still a nation were public display of affection is appreciated only within closed doors.